Hunting Act 2004

The Hunting Act 2004 is a law passed by the British Parliament in 2004 Act. It prohibits the hunting with dogs on living foxes, hares, red deer and minks in England and Wales. The Act entered into force on 18 February 2005. In Scotland, the pursuit of foxes with hounds had already been prohibited two years earlier. In contrast, this form of hunting in Northern Ireland is allowed. Since the banning of the traditional fox hunting, the number of trailing hounds has roughly doubled in the UK.

The ban was preceded by a fierce debate in the UK. Home Secretary Jack Straw asked, among other things, a commission, called the Burns Inquiry, to investigate the details of the hunting and sporting forms. The Commission came to the conclusion that prey animals such as rabbits and foxes would seriously affects their well -being through this hunt forms. It was, however, made ​​any recommendation, whether this form of hunting will remain allowed or whether they should be adjusted. Following the adoption of several newspapers and other media have criticized the law, arguing that Tony Blair's Labour government had yielded to demands from here backbench Labour Party, the prejudices against the Hunting entertained. In fact, members of parliament from all parties had agreed to the bill. They pointed following the adoption of the law point out that the majority of people want such a law and that hunts with dogs on the prey cause unnecessary suffering.